Flooring jack



Jan. l2 1926.

M. L. WILSON ET AL FLOORING JACK Filed March 22, 1923 /4 j I 29 s @a2 r #Il v x I 25 l 13j, 3 3fm ,-37 il .j 28 @.4 2% ,VA v 4o mi 2 zr f2 '53j 27 6 `l 24 I 24- 1 96 30 '231 30 INVENToRs 25 Y i Y f 29 Mary L.\^/lson 30 Robert' L. f/) 2/ I BY l M f yb/z Il JM'TORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENTpOFFlCE.

MARY L. WLSON AND ROBERT L. ROCKWELL, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON; SAIDr ROCKWELL ASSIGNOR Gl? ONE-,SXTH F ENTIRE RGHT TO SAID MARY L.

WILSON.

moonrise JACK.

To all @l1/tom t may concern: Be it known that we, MARY L. lVrLsoN and 'ROBERT L. RoCKwnLL, citizens'of the United States, residing at Seattle,V in the county of King and State of" VaShingt-On, have invented a certain new and useful -1mpro'vement in Flooring Jacks of which the following is a specification.' l

Our invention relates to'improvements 1n jacks of av form especiallyadapted to be used in building operations for forcing together strips of lumber as liooring or siding preparatory to nailing the same.

An object vof our invention is to provide a jack of this nature that is capable of eX- erting a relatively great force, either in the form of a thrust or a pull, on an object to which it is applied and of serving as a'clamp to hold said object in any desired 'position until said jack is manually released.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature that is capable ofl anchoring itself securely to any plane flat wooden surface on which it is vplaced in operation.

Another object'of our invention is to provide a device of this nature having an op erating lever that is arranged to be quickly and easily folded into a position substantially parallel to the body of the device where it will be out of the way of the hammer during the nailing operation when in use and where it will be in a convenient position for transportation when not in use.

Further objects are to provide a jack of this nature that is strong, simpleand compact in construction7 not expensive to manu- ,facture7 easy to operate and thatris adapted for use in positionsthat are difficult of access.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In laying flooring, putting on siding and performing similar` operations in building construction Y 't frequently happens that boards that should iit snugly together are warped or crooked and can not be made to lit properly unless considerable rforce is apf plied thereto. VThe present invention provides means for applying the necessary force with a minimum amount ofeffort in such a manner as to force the boards into the i proper position for nailing, and also pro n lower vides means for holding the boards securely in the correct position until after they are nailed.

lVhile the device is designed especially for use in forcing together strips of lumber as flooring it will be understood that the same may be used formany other purposes.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a floor laying device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal mid-sec tion substantially on broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section substantially on broken line v3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4l is a view partly in elevation and partly in cross-section showing a pulling attachment that may be used in connection with this device. Y

Like reference vnumerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings 5 designates a relatively plane flat base plate vand 6 designates a housing arranged to rest upon said base vplate and to be rigidly secured thereto by screws 7. The housing 6 is formed with a longitudinally extending guideway 8 for the reception of a rack bar 9 and with an upwardly arched hollow portion 10 that affords a receptacle for mechanism hereinafter described. The guideway 8 is open at both the front and rear ends and the rack Vbar 9 is arranged to rest upon the base plate 5 and slide freely in such guideway 8. The forward end of the rack bar 9 protrudes .from the forward end ofthe housing and terminates in a cylindrical bearing knob 11 over which the U shaped clips 12 of a head member 13 are arranged to fit, the interitting knob 11 and clips 12 affording a ball and socket forni of connection that permits the head member to automatically adjust itself to different angles when in use. The front edge of the head, member 13 may be shaped to lit any object to which it is to be applied, as for instance, it may be provided with a longitudinal groove 14 for the reception of the tongue 15 of a strip of Hooring 16 or similar matched lumber. The

flange Vof the front edge of the head member 13 is preferably longer thanfthe upper flange thereof to avoid marring the upper edge of the flooring and the upper Harige of said head :member is cut away as at 17 Ito facilitate the driving of nails 18 as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2. The front end of the base plate is cut away as at 19 to afford clearance for the bearing knob 11.

The base plate 5 is provided with a plurality of prongs or spikes 20 that project downwardly and rezuwvardly therefrom in such a manner as to sink into any penetrable object 21 on which the device is supported when in use.

"he rack bar '9 is preferably of channel shaped cross section and is provided with ratchet like teeth which are arranged to be engaged by a pawl 22% that projects betweenv the forked ends 24 of a lever and is pivotally mounted on a transverse pin 2G. The pin 2G extends through longitudinally arranged slots 2T in the forked ends 24 of Athe lever and is anchored in the sides 2S of a fulcrum member. The sides 28of the fulcrum member are provided at the bottoni end with outwardly directed pivot studs 29 that are journaled in bearings B0., see Fig. 3, formed jointly by the base plate 5 and housing' 6. rlhe two legs 28 of the fulcrum member are supported in spaced vapart relation by a transversely extending integral portion 31 which is slotted at its lower end7 as at 32, to afford clearance for the pawl 23 and is provided at its upper end with an outwardly protruding portion 34 that is arranged to move within a slot in the arched portion 10 of the housing7 said slot also affording ample room in which the lever may work.

A notch 86 is provided in the top edge of each side 28 of the fulerum member for the reception of a lug 37 that projects outwardly from the adjacent side 24 of the lever arm 25, the rear wall 38 of each notch 36 being inclined and co-operating with a similarly inclined surface on the interlitting lug 37, so that the lower end 24 of the lever 25 willfalways be held firmly against the web 31 of the fulerum member thereby eliminating relative lost motion and play between the lever arm and the fulcrum member and compensating for wear.

A tension spring 39 connected at one end with the pawl 23 and at the other end with the housing 3 serves-to yieldingly pull the pawl down onto the rack bar 9. A rigid pin 49 protrudes rearwardly from the web 31 of the fulcrum member into a slot 41 in the upper portion of the pawl 23 and is arranged to strike against a shoulder 42 on the pawl to lift the lower end of the pawl out of engagement with the teeth 22 of the rack bar 9 w ien the lever 25 is at the rearmost limit of its movement. Integral stop members 43 in the housing 6 serve to limit the rearward movement of the fulcrum member.

lockii pawl 44 is n'iounted on a pivot pin near the forward end 'of the housing 6 and is yieldingly pressed downwardly onto the teeth 22 of the rack bar 9 by a compression spring 46. A trip lever 4T on the pawl 44 projects outwardly through an opening 4S in the housing G into a position where it may be readily engaged by the voperators fingers for the purpose of releasing the pawl 44 from engagement with the rack bar 9.

Fig. 4 shows a puller type of rack bar having a downwardly bent end 51 which terminates in a cylindrical knob 52 that adapted to receive the shank 12 of the head member 13. rlhe rack bar 50 may replace the rack bar 9, with the downwardly j flooring strips that are laid next to a wall,

the base plate 5 being set upon rough strips of woodthat rest upon the previously laid Hoor and abut against the wall so that the spikes may penetrate the strips and support the housing without damaging `the' Hoor that is already laid. The puller rack 50 may also be used in many other ways.

In operation the base plate 5 may rest upon any convenient support that the spikes 20 may penetrateand become 'anchored in and that will not be undesirably damaged by the marks left by. said spikes. The head member 13 is .placed againstthe object, as the flooring strip 16 that is to be forced against the next adjacent Vstrip and nailed, the lever arm 25 is raised from the hori- Zontal position shown in Fig. 2 to a position in alignment with the fulcrum member and the lugs 37are caused to enter -the notches 3G. The lever arm 25 is then used to move the fulcrum member back and forth between the position shown by full lines and the position shown by broken lines in Fig..2, thereby advancing the rack bar 9 and causing it to exert apressure against the board 16 that is being forced into the proper position for nailing. The holding pawl 44 will hold rack bar 9 in the furthest position to which it has been advanced at all times thus enabling the user to release his hold on the lever at any time.

Fressure of the rack bar 9 may be released by exerting a forwardly directed force on the lever 25 suicient to loosen the holding pawl 44 and then lifting the'holding pawl 44 out of engagement with the teeth 22 by pressing rearwardly on the release arm 47.

Justl` before the fulcrum member reaches therearmost position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 the pin y40 will strike against the shoulder 42 and lift thepawl out of engagement with the teeth 22 thus making it possible to lift the pawl 44 and move the rack bar 9 rearwardly to the limit ofk its travel thus disengaging head 13 from the strip of iooring 16. o

The lever 25 may be folded rearwardly parallel with the housing where it will be out of the way and will not interfere with the driving of nails when the deviceis in use and where it will be in a convenient position for packing andcarrying.A In folding the lever Qlis pulled outwardly to withdraw the lugs 37 from the notches 86 and to draw the lower ends of the slots 27 upwardly against the pin 26. The lever may then be lowered into the position shown in Fig. 2.

The device may be placed on any kind of support in which the spikes may enter and become anchored without making undesirable marks as for instance it may be placed on the top edge of the floor joists in laying flooring directly on the joists or it may be placed on the rough or first floor when double flooring is being laid.

The ball and socket connection between the rack bar 9 and the foot member 13 permits the foot member to automatically align itself correctly to the edge of the strip to which it is applied and to maintain such correct alignment as the strip is moved into the proper position.

rThe device is not only capable of serving as a jack for exerting a thrust or a pull but may also seive as a clamp for holding the object to which it is applied in any desired position.

The device is strong, simple and compact in construction, easy to operate, capable of exerting a relatively great thrust or pull,

and is not expensive to manufacture.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose what we now consider to be a preferred einbodiment of our invention, but it will be understood that .this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes may be resorted to as are within the scope of the following claims.

Te claim Y 1. A device of the class described einbodying a housing, a rack ybar guided for movement lengthwise within said housing, a two part lever mounted for oscillation in said housing, said lever being formed of an inner fulcrum member and an outer handle member that is connected with the fulciuin member by means which permit said handle to be folded downwardly at an angle to said fulcrum member and parallel with said housing, or to be moved into alignment with and rigidly connected to said fulcrummember, and a pawl on said lever arm for engaging with and movingY said rack bar.

2. A device of the class described embodying a housing, a rack bar guided Vfor movement lengthwise vwithin said housing,

a fulcrum member mounted for oscillation within said housing, a pawl carried 4by said fulcrum member and arranged to engage with said rack, stop means for limiting the rearward movement of said fulcrum member, means for disengaging said pawl from said rack when said fulcrum member is at the limit of its rearward movement, and a lever arm connected with said fulcrum member by means arranged to hold ysaid lever arm in rigid relation with respect to and in alignment with said fulcrum member or to permit said lever arm to be folded rearwardly at an angle to said fulcrum member and substantially `parallel with said housing.

3. A device of the class described embodying a base plate, anchor spikes protruding from said base plate, a housing member rigidly secured to said base plate and co-operating therewith to form a longitudinal guideway, a rack bar movable in said guide way and arranged to project from the end thereof, object engaging means on the end of said rack bar; a fulcrum member pivoted in said housing and comprising two spaced apart side legs rigidly connected by an integral front web, said side legs having notches in the top ends thereof, a pivot pin extending crosswise between the side legs of said fulcrum member, a lever arm having a forked inner end provided with longitudinal slots through which said pivot pin extends, lugs on said lever arm arranged to engage within the notches in the top' ends of the side pawl mounted on said pivot pin, a spring arranged to yieldingly hold said pawl in engagement with said rack bar, means for limiting the rearward movement of said fulcrum member, means for disengaging said legs of said fulcrum member, a

pawl from said rack bar when said fulciuin f member is at the limit of its rearward movement and manually releasable holding means engaging said rack bar.l

4. A device of the class described embodying a base plate, spikes projecting from the bottom of said base plate, a housing secured to the top of said base plate, said housing having a longitudinal guideway on the surface adjacent said base plate and having an upwardly arched hollow portion on the top side thereof, said upwardly arched hollow portion having a longitudinally extending slot'in the top wall, a rack bar movable in said guideway and projecting from one end thereof, automatically adjustable ineans on the end of said rack bar for engaging with an object against which pressure is to be exerted, a fulcrum. member pivotally mounted in said housing said fulcrum member comprising two spaced apart side legs connected by an integral front web, said side legs being notched in the top ends thereof, a lever arm having a forked inner end provided with longitudinal slots and arranged to it between the side legs, lugson the sides of said lever arm arranged to lit within the notches in the side legs of said fulcrum member, a pawl arranged to lit between the `forked end portions of said lever arm, e pin extending crosswise through Said fulerurn member said pawl and the slots in the forked ends of said lever arm, stop means in said housing for limiting the rearward movement of said ful- Crum member, a spring to yieldingly hold said pawl down onto said rack bar, lmeans on seid fulerum member for raising said pewl from said rack bar when said fulerum member is at the limit of its rearward movement and a manually releasable holding pewl engaging said rack bar.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, February MARY L. WILSON. 'ROBERT L. ROCKWELL. 

